Acer Liquid Gallant Duo
The basics
The Acer Liquid Gallant Duo is your typical mid-range smartphone, with a 4.3-inch 540x960 resolution screen and a 1GHz processor to power through Android 4.0. But it also packs a secret twist: there are two SIM card slots instead of one, so you can stuff your work and play SIMs into one handset and field calls from both on the go. On paper, your pocket never had it so good. Is that the case in practice?
The good
The Acer Liquid Gallant Duo’s not the fastest phone on the block, by any means. But it’s a very easy to use one: it runs almost vanilla Android 4.0 as Google designed it, which is easy to to use (of course, you shouldn’t count on an update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean any time ever), and has access to 600,000 apps on the Google Play store.
But the tweaks Acer have made are for the better. You’ll find the excellent Swype keyboard, which lets you drag your finger across the screen to type quickly, installed. And Acer’s made it about as painless as possible to control the two SIMs from a single app, and set which calls are made from, or have the phone prompt you everytime you go to dial.
At just £161.99, the Acer Liquid Gallant Duo is also a bit of a bargain. There aren’t many smartphones with this much power under the bonnet for the price, single or dual-SIM. That said, you won’t find the Duo on sale through networks: you’ll need to pay for it upfront.
The bad
We can cope with the uninspired build of the Gallant Duo. Just, any rate: its 9.9mm profile is pretty chunky and bland, and the sharp screen is difficult to see in direct sunlight. The five megapixel snaps are so so, and there’s no front facing camera for video chats. Nothing too shocking for the price.
But what on earth was the company thinking when it stuck the power-screenlock button on the back, next to the camera? It’s a nightmare to track down, and not something we’re used to phone makers getting wrong in this day or age.
There’s also the issue of managing those two lines. Acer has made it as easy to juggle as possible, but, well, there’s only so much fuss it can remove from the equation. Want to call a friend on a different line to the one you usually do? Need to switch which line is using 3G so you can stream some Spotify without angering the boss? Trust us, it all gets a bit fiddly. This has to be something you really, truly need, not want.
The bottom line
Acer Liquid Gallant Duo is an impressive effort for the price: if you’re after a dual-SIM smartphone there really is no better option out there right now, in spite of the elusive power button. As neat as dual-SIM sounds though, we can think of something more people would probably prefer though: a smartphone stuffed with better hardware and more up to date software. Samsung and Apple don’t need to sweat just yet.
Acer Liquid Gallant Duo review unit kindly provided by Expansys
User comments (5)
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I. Beck20 November 2012
I've owned the Acer Liquid Gallant Duo now for a month or so. There aren't many dual sim phones out there and for the money this is excellent value. Contrary to what the Gadget Show review says, you can switch which line carries the 3G quite easily from the setting menu. And yes, maybe Apple or Samsung don't need to sweat just yet but if you do buy a Samsung or Apple, the price will certainly make you cry!
Report as inappropriatechris22 November 2012
The phone is excellent! A great value for money indeed! I don't get all the fuss about the power button. It is a great idea and certainly it is easier for the power button to be in the back of a phone rather than in its side! I don't get why other companies haven't thought of that!!
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banyaman28 December 2012
had the phone for over 3 months now, brilliant phone, dual sim, One phone with a sim for work and one for home (data) - nothing else on the market that matches this - works faultlessly - as you would imagine, if you keep both sims powered up all the time, the battery takes a hammering, but its easy to toggle off / on, and remember to use auto power off/on option when you sleep.
Report as inappropriateKim30 January 2013
anyone tell me where I can purchase an acer dual sim liquid gallant please?
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